All Saints' Church Hertford

Special events for Lent 2026

Welcome!

We are really excited about our keeping of Lent this year as A Festival of Faith at All Saints' Church, Hertford! There are a number of different tracks for people to explore the intersection of life and faith deeply and to help us examine whether some of the things that drive neighbourhoods and nations still matter.

Hopefully our Festival of Faith this year will have something for everyone, and give each of us the chance to understand ourselves and our society's drives and motives more fully, and what we need to enable each of us individually and together, to live life abundantly.

Please share widely. #AllWelcomeAlways

Ash Wednesday

This holy season begins on Ash Wednesday (18th February)with a number of opportunities to worship:

• 7am Ashes to Go at Hertford East station
• 10am Ashes to Go in Salisbury Square
• 12.30am Holy Communion with the Imposition of Ashes in church.
• 8.00pm Choral Communion with the Imposition of Ashes in church.

Spiritual self-examination

Lent has traditionally been about a spiritual self-examination - what are our inner drives and how do we enable them to be more like Christ's. We are offering three possibilities, a Spiritual MoT, a weeekly group meeeting/exploration and/or a book for self-study.

Spiritual MoT

During these weeks you may wish to take part in a spiritual MOT.

In the same way that we need to ensure that our motor vehicles are roadworthy by passing an MOT, so by doing a spiritual MOT will give us the opportunity to think about what we need to flourish as people, and maybe what parts of lives we need to maybe fine tuned to enable that. Download the document here.

Group meeting/exploration

On a weekly basis beginning on Thursday 19 February 2026 at 09.15am we will be offering the chance to learn about one of the traditional spiritual disciplines that have historically played such a formative part in the life disciples of Christ, and then for a week to try it out, and reflect on it before trying another.

Please Sign up for a Group using a form in church or emailing or messaging the Vicar. All are welcome.

And keep an eye out, because if groups like this don't work for you, the material will be collated on a handout available to all and posted here as the sesaon progresses.

Recommended Reading

Celebration of Disicpline by Richard Foster.

Arguably the most established contemporary spiritual classic by our most profound living religious writer. This timeless classic has helped well over a million people discover a richer spiritual life infused with joy, peace and a deeper understanding of God. The book explores the 'classic disciplines' of Christian faith: the inward disciplines of meditation, prayer, fasting, and study; the outward disciplines of simplicity, solitude, submission and service and the corporate disciplines of confession, worship, guidance and celebration

Faith in ...

To help us to do that we are hosting three evening talks focussed on the theme of 'Faith in...' and our speakers will help us to think about why politics, science and care for our children matter for the good of all.

Talk Dates and Speakers:

• Sunday 8 March 2026 - Professor, Canon Russell Cowburn
• Sunday 15 March 2026 - Rt Hon Josh Dean MP
• Sunday 22 March 2026 - Mark Russell OBE

Professor Canon Russell Cowburn

Russell is a Canon Scientist at St Albans Cathedral.

His appointment represented a significant step in the Cathedral’s ongoing efforts to bridge the gap between faith and science.

His role encourages deeper dialogue and exploration of how scientific discovery can complement theological reflection. From his early interest in electronics to his education and career in Cambridge, his profile sits at the intersection between science and technology.

In the late 90’s he shaped his research approach, recognising the need for collaboration across disciplines and the importance of technology transfer to solve real-world problems. In that spirit, he’s founded three companies, including one focused on nanotechnology instrumentation and another aimed at speeding up drug discovery, reflecting his commitment to applying science to the needs of our societies.

Russell talks about the importance of bridging science and faith.

Rt Hon Josh Dean

Josh is MP for Hertford and Bishops Stortford

Josh attended Richard Hale School, leaving 'directionless' at seventeen. He then worked, including a stint at his local Starbucks, for a number of years, and was still living at his mother's home when elected in 2020.

He founded "Stortford Against Rhodes", which was successful in its campaign to rename Rhodes Birthplace Trust, in the wake of the Black Lives Matter movement.

On becoming an MP, he was a student at the University of Westminster, studying Politics and International Relations, needing to finish his dissertation before he could graduate.

Mark Russell OBE

Mark leads The Children’s Society, an organisation with a bold vision to build a society for all children.

Every young person deserves a good childhood. That's why the Society fights for the hope and happiness of young people when it's threatened by abuse, exploitation and neglect. They see the hope and courage in young people every day, and it inspires them to support them through their most serious life challenges.

Now they are stepping up the fight for hope and happiness at a time when its under threat like never before. Their goal and vision is built around the hopes of young people, to achieve long-lasting change for this generation and the ones to come.

Mark has been a CEO of social justice charities since 2006, and has significant experience of leading organisations through change. He has been a Trustee of a £140m charity, a Vice Chair of Governors of his local high school, an Honorary Canon of Southwark Cathedral and a Fellow of the Royal Society of the Arts.

His Majesty The King bestowed an OBE on Mark for services to charity in the New Year Honours List of 2026.

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